BUSINESS BYTE: Flow celebrates new parents with paid leave

• 16 weeks paid leave for new mothers; 8 paid weeks for new fathers

 One year since the launch of its ground-breaking parental leave initiative, leading telecommunications provider Flow is highlighting the importance of paid parental leave as a critically important benefit for expectant parents.

The company’s parental leave policy, which provides paid maternity leave of sixteen weeks and paid paternity leave of eight weeks, was introduced last June by parent company Liberty Latin America across all Flow markets in the Caribbean.

It provides fully paid leave to all full-time employees following the birth of a child or the birth of a child via surrogacy.

“Our parental leave policy demonstrates our commitment to a culture of diversity and inclusion and one that puts our people at the heart of our success. In the last year, it has become one of the hallmarks of our people portfolio,” said Shani Jacob who leads the people business element of the company in Dominica.

One female staff member has so far benefitted from the policy, however, Jacob said she was looking forward to having other team members take advantage of programme in the near future.

Previously, the company provided twelve weeks paid leave for new mothers and three days paid leave for new fathers.

“Evolving the policy, quite simply, was the right thing to do and we are very proud to be one of the few companies around the region that provides this enhanced facility to our staff. Likewise, we want to encourage other corporate players and stakeholders to explore offering the same to their workforces”, said Jeffrey Baptiste, General Manager, Flow Dominica.

Baptiste also noted the company viewed its parental leave policy as an investment in its people rather than an operational expense.

“This policy is one of the best investments we can make because it puts our people first. There is also a wealth of information that illustrates the benefits of paid parental leave not just for parents, but also for children, the wider community and companies. We want our team to be able to enjoy their special moments and there’s nothing more special than welcoming a new child,” he said.

“Family dynamics and structures have evolved over time but we recognise that diversity and adaptability will continue to drive our success. Our parental leave policy tangibly demonstrates our commitment to a culture of diversity and inclusion and Flow Dominica is proud to have it available to staff.”